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CHIANG RAI – Governor of Chiang Rai Narongsak Osottanakorn has presided over a meeting held between Chiang Rai province and representatives of Myanmar, China and Laos to discuss the establishment of a new tourism route along their shared borders.

Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said the Province exchanged opinions among the four neighboring nations regarding the development of tourism connectivity within the Greater Mekong Subregion.

The attendees particularly reviewed the potential of the tourism route linking Thailand’s Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces to Kengtung in Myanmar, Jinghong or Chiang Rung in China, and Xieng Thong in Laos. The discussion also touched on the establishment of tourism networks and business matching in the region.

According to statistics from 2014, the total number of visitors to the five border cities increased 31.51 percent and the surge had a tendency to continue. This presented an opportunity for Thailand, Myanmar, China and Laos to join hands in developing their border areas in a bid to attract more tourists and distribute wealth to local communities.
By Surapan Laotharanarit